The development of a foundation-level pharmacy competency framework: An analysis of country-level applicability of...

The importance and usefulness of competency frameworks (CFs) in pharmacy professional development is recognised globally. However, there is no national CF for pharmacists in Japan yet.

This study was conducted to measure the level of relevance of behavioural statements of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Global Competency Framework (GbCF) to Japanese foundation-level pharmacy practice, aiming for developing a national framework for foundation-level pharmacists in Japan.

A cross-sectional, anonymous, online self-completed survey was conducted during June and July 2018 in Japan. The questionnaire was adopted from the GbCF, translated into Japanese. A snowballing sampling approach was used. The relevance levels of the GbCF items were assessed by using 4-point Likert scales, and analysed by descriptive and inferential methods.

A total 604 useable responses were included in analyses. High levels of relevance levels were found in two clusters ('pharmaceutical public health' and 'pharmaceutical care'), while the other two clusters ('organisation and management' and 'professional/personal') showed significantly low relevance (relevance = 89.6%, 82.5%, 59.6%, and 67.9%, respectively). The study found little engagement of the academic sector with framework, while the industry sector showed relevance to all clusters evenly. Regarding years working in sectors, there was no progression of relevance in 'organisation and management' and 'professional/personal' competencies during foundation years as well as very little professional/personal development.

The study revealed specific competencies and behaviours which require modifications to adapt the GbCF into the Japanese pharmacy practice environment. This is a key step towards the development of a national framework, illustrating current Japanese foundation-level pharmacy practice compared with global standards. The findings will be used as a base for developing a framework for foundation-level pharmacists in Japan and address concerns such as pharmacist preparedness to advance in management roles and limited personal and professional development.